Saddle-ride type vehicles include air bag apparatuses disposed forward of rider's seats to be inflated or deployed when the vehicles are subject to impact, as disclosed in Patent Literatures 1 and 2 below.
An air bag apparatus disclosed in Patent Literature 1 includes an air bag stored in a bag housing disposed forward of a fuel tank located forward of a seat mounted on a frame of a motorcycle. A restrainer extends rearward from a middle part of a rear side of the air bag for restraining the air bag as the air bag is deployed. The restrainer has one end coupled to the frame under the seat.
As the air bag begins to be deployed, a lid disposed on a top of the bag housing pivots upward to an opened portion on a hinge located at a front side of the bag housing. The air bag is further deployed out of the bag housing, when the restrainer stretches to hold the deployed air bag in a desired position.
The restrainer, which holds the air bag in the desired position, is essential for the air bag apparatus of Patent Literature 1. However, the restrainer extends out of the bag housing to the frame of the motorcycle, which provides aesthetically adverse effect on the air bag apparatus. To eliminate such a restrainer, effort has been made to develop an air bag apparatus disclosed in Patent Literature 2 below.
The air bag apparatus disclosed in Patent Literature includes an air bag stored in a bag housing disposed directly forward of a seat mounted on a frame of a motorcycle. A fuel tank is disposed forward of the bag housing.
As the air bag begins to be deployed, a lid disposed at a top of the bag housing pivots upward to an opened position. Finally, the air bag is deployed vertically upward. The air bag apparatus of Patent Literature is featured by not only elimination of the restrainer disclosed in Patent Literature 1 but also the disposition of the bag housing directly forward of the seat to shorten a distance between the bag housing and a rider.
It is desirable that an air bag be deployed between a rider and a vehicle front side including a handle etc. in such a manner as to support the rider after the deployed air bag comes into contact with the vehicle front side. However, the air bag of the air bag apparatus, which is deployed vertically upward, supports the rider before making contact with the vehicle front side. This implies that a direction of deployment of the air bag is important in supporting the rider. There is need for improvement in the air bag apparatus to control a direction of deployment of the air bag.